Army Meets Recruiting Goal For October...

[Todd33]

Don't attack those who join, attack those who lure them into their deaths. The world is full of smart and dumb people, as is the military and the internet.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: EatSpam

Originally posted by: Genx87
If you are so worried about thier aptitude why not sign up and help change this?
Obviously you are sooo smart!

Why would I sign up to go die in Iraq? That doesn't seem very smart. Why don't you sign up? You're of age.

*crickets*

 

[techs]

I wonder why the Army just doesn't outsource its recruiting to China? Plenty of hard working and intelligent people there who would be glad to serve for one tenth of what our soldiers are getting.

 

[fornax]

Originally posted by: Starbuck1975

Funny, but there are numerous stories of American citizens who forged birth certificates and such so that they could serve during WW2...back then, such individuals were recognized and praised as heroes of their generation...now we dismiss them as stupid degenerates...the "bottom of the barrel" recruits you dismiss are cut from the same cloth as those soldiers who won the American Revolution, the Civil War, WW1, WW2 and every other major American war.

Many of America's top entrepreneurs and business leaders lack high school or college educations...some of the most intelligent and engaging people I have ever worked with dropped out of college in pursuit of opportunities beyond the corporate America rat race.

The elitist attitudes from some of you is astonishing.

Starbuck1975, with all due respect, you're building a strawman and then try shooting it down. Do you really don't see the difference between forging a birth certificate (to lie about your age), and forging a HS diploma (to hide the fact that you could not complete the laughable requirements for one)? Or do you really don't see the difference between a HS or college dropout who left to pursue or found, as you say, a business, or even become a Prime Minister (Alberta, Canada), and the people who scored 16 out of 99 on an aptitude test? The former had the initiative, intelligence, and drive to do something with their lives; the latter are a people who we would give multimillion-dollar weapons and trust them with defending us. I don't know about you, but the though of an armed to the teeth nearly-retard (16 out of 99!) scares me. And before you jump to conclusions, my father was a Navy officer so I know a thing or two about military life.

P.S. And we didn't win WWII. We helped, and we rushed to Europe when it became evident that the Russians will have Europe all to themselves if we delayed a little bit longer. The USSR was already in Poland when we landed in Normandy.

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity
Once you hit sub 30 you are talking infantryman for the most part. On that note I doubt any females in that score range would even be accepted.

Contrary to popular belief infantryman does NOT have the lowest asvab minimum, a lot of jobs (like cook, truck driver, etc) have lower minimums. Being a grunt these days is a lot more than manual labor and pulling a trigger. You have to be able to work a radio, night vision devices, targeting lasers, call in artillery or air strikes, do advanced first aid, navigate many miles using just a map and compass, employ small unit tactics, perform weapons system maintenance/troubleshooting, respect foreign customs and courtesies, gather intelligence, etc etc. Todays ground pounders spend more time in the classroom than any military in history.

I know that in the Marines, sometimes they have to get the youngin's "up to par" in some simple areas like math and reading, because the crappy public schools failed to do so. I'd like to see a study where they compare all the people who took an asvab a year after they first took it, one group of people who enlisted, the other group that did not. The group that did not likely would not have an increase in the score, while the group with a year in the service would have a large increase.

I've seen privates who came out of a remedial math course saying they learned more about math in a few weeks than they did in 4 years of high school. Its amazing how some kids snap thier brains into gear once you put a screaming sergeant in front of them. I've seen kids who barely made it out of HS get 100% test averages through thier MOS school, partly because the instructors act as parents, they go to the barracks, they turn off the TV or radio, hang up the phone, and MAKE you study.

Dont get me wrong, I've met some complete blockheads in the military, but the good news is they likely never get passed the non-rate ranks. Whereas in corporate world, I've met just as many complete blockheads, but the bad news is they have actually held important positions.

 

[Uhtrinity]

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity
Once you hit sub 30 you are talking infantryman for the most part. On that note I doubt any females in that score range would even be accepted.

Contrary to popular belief infantryman does NOT have the lowest asvab minimum, a lot of jobs (like cook, truck driver, etc) have lower minimums. Being a grunt these days is a lot more than manual labor and pulling a trigger. You have to be able to work a radio, night vision devices, targeting lasers, call in artillery or air strikes, do advanced first aid, navigate many miles using just a map and compass, employ small unit tactics, perform weapons system maintenance/troubleshooting, respect foreign customs and courtesies, gather intelligence, etc etc. Todays ground pounders spend more time in the classroom than any military in history.

I know that in the Marines, sometimes they have to get the youngin's "up to par" in some simple areas like math and reading, because the crappy public schools failed to do so. I'd like to see a study where they compare all the people who took an asvab a year after they first took it, one group of people who enlisted, the other group that did not. The group that did not likely would not have an increase in the score, while the group with a year in the service would have a large increase.

I've seen privates who came out of a remedial math course saying they learned more about math in a few weeks than they did in 4 years of high school. Its amazing how some kids snap thier brains into gear once you put a screaming sergeant in front of them. I've seen kids who barely made it out of HS get 100% test averages through thier MOS school, partly because the instructors act as parents, they go to the barracks, they turn off the TV or radio, hang up the phone, and MAKE you study.

Dont get me wrong, I've met some complete blockheads in the military, but the good news is they likely never get passed the non-rate ranks. Whereas in corporate world, I've met just as many complete blockheads, but the bad news is they have actually held important positions.

Point taken, actually I did state that one of the people I knew was in small arms repair. I just think it is a shame that the standards are being lowered for 'the greatest fighting force on the planet'. I strongly believe it all falls on the fact that our military is being abused by those in power, and as long as that is happening recruitment will be down.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: Train

Whereas in corporate world, I've met just as many complete blockheads, but the bad news is they have actually held important positions.

Like Michael Brown of FEMA Fame ?
I've delt with more 'Degreed Iliterates' in corporations than I ever saw in the enlisted military.
Even when there is a troop that is having trouble in some phase of training, their 'Battle Buddies' help them out - whatever it takes.

Those who can't make the grade are drummed out so are not to jepordize the mission or put others lives at risk,
not promoted to the position of 'Personal Friend of a Cousin of an Uncle of an Aunt' who gets a multi-thousand dollar free ride
based on knowing where to score for thier buddies in the college dorms.
Good-Old-Boys don't fare well when there's "incoming !".

 

[Train]

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity

Originally posted by: Train

Originally posted by: Uhtrinity
Once you hit sub 30 you are talking infantryman for the most part. On that note I doubt any females in that score range would even be accepted.

Contrary to popular belief infantryman does NOT have the lowest asvab minimum, a lot of jobs (like cook, truck driver, etc) have lower minimums. Being a grunt these days is a lot more than manual labor and pulling a trigger. You have to be able to work a radio, night vision devices, targeting lasers, call in artillery or air strikes, do advanced first aid, navigate many miles using just a map and compass, employ small unit tactics, perform weapons system maintenance/troubleshooting, respect foreign customs and courtesies, gather intelligence, etc etc. Todays ground pounders spend more time in the classroom than any military in history.

I know that in the Marines, sometimes they have to get the youngin's "up to par" in some simple areas like math and reading, because the crappy public schools failed to do so. I'd like to see a study where they compare all the people who took an asvab a year after they first took it, one group of people who enlisted, the other group that did not. The group that did not likely would not have an increase in the score, while the group with a year in the service would have a large increase.

I've seen privates who came out of a remedial math course saying they learned more about math in a few weeks than they did in 4 years of high school. Its amazing how some kids snap thier brains into gear once you put a screaming sergeant in front of them. I've seen kids who barely made it out of HS get 100% test averages through thier MOS school, partly because the instructors act as parents, they go to the barracks, they turn off the TV or radio, hang up the phone, and MAKE you study.

Dont get me wrong, I've met some complete blockheads in the military, but the good news is they likely never get passed the non-rate ranks. Whereas in corporate world, I've met just as many complete blockheads, but the bad news is they have actually held important positions.

Point taken, actually I did state that one of the people I knew was in small arms repair. I just think it is a shame that the standards are being lowered for 'the greatest fighting force on the planet'. I strongly believe it all falls on the fact that our military is being abused by those in power, and as long as that is happening recruitment will be down.

I dont think its as much as standards are being lowered as it is the pool of young men in this country is poorly educated, and getting worse every year. The shame is that the military has to spend so much time and money doing what the public schools or parents failed to do. This is evident by looking at how many colleges are lowering standards as well, to meet enrollment goals. I was looking at class schedules at my old university recently and was amazed at how many below college level ( < 100) courses are being taught.

But people like to pick out a few statistics and say "OMG the Military is getting dumber!" and not be wrong, but in the big picture the truth is AMERICA is getting dumber.

 

[episodic]

That test (the asvab) is the easiest standardized test known to man.


I scored 98th percentile. I took it to get out of class one day in high school. I would not trust ANYONE that could not score > than 50% on that to work at mcdonalds even. . .

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: episodic
That test (the asvab) is the easiest standardized test known to man.


I scored 98th percentile. I took it to get out of class one day in high school. I would not trust ANYONE that could not score > than 50% on that to work at mcdonalds even. . .

Same here. I scored in the 92th percentile and I didn't even try hard. 16 points out of 99 is pretty DAMN low.

 

[BBond]

Originally posted by: Strk
I'm really curious how dumb you have to be to score that low on that test.

As dumb as George W. Bush.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: episodic
That test (the asvab) is the easiest standardized test known to man.


I scored 98th percentile. I took it to get out of class one day in high school. I would not trust ANYONE that could not score > than 50% on that to work at mcdonalds even. . .

Is it really a percentile ie are they recruiting the stupidest 30-16% percent? But if it is a percentile how can 16-30 be the lowest score. Some one has to be the stupidest person in the world.

 

[Zebo]

You're just wrong Jpeyton.. Pretty sad generalizations coming from someone who claims to be intelligent. Should the military have higher standards..hell ya I say so all the time. Trailor trash like Lindy embarress us. Drug runners like embarress us. Giving these people whoi have been at the bottom of the gene pool all thier life guns is very dangerous. But make no mistake about half the people there join for other than the best jobs program they could get. Sometimes to get away from dominering father.. sometimes for travel and adventure.. sometimes beleive it or not things like Duty, Honor, Country! Others for a full ride.. great retirement plan since the government won't go bankrupt. Others still to be part of something bigger than themselves..something elite like airborne//seals etc.

BTW - I scored a 99 ASVAB/31 ACT before I went in and had a full ride to any school I wanted before I went in. Meet people from all walks of life which was really cool.